


Legacies of Olympus: Daughter of the Sea

by Kaede Marie (JadedSuperGirl)



Series: Legacies of Olympus [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Athena - Freeform, Daughter of the Sea, F/M, Legacies, Percy's Daughter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:21:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28694613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadedSuperGirl/pseuds/Kaede%20Marie
Summary: Years have passed since the great quest undertaken by the seven Heroes of Olympus. There is now a new generation of heroes. A new legacy. As a legacy of the sea god and daughter of Percy Jackson, Charlie has her own quest to fulfill. Will she live up to the Jackson name and save Olympus once again?
Series: Legacies of Olympus [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2103330
Comments: 14
Kudos: 9





	1. My Family Returns to Camp

**Author's Note:**

> Percy Jackson and related content belong to Rick Riordan. I own nothing except for any original characters that my creative little mind comes up with!

Legacies of Olympus

Chapter One

Do you believe in gods and monsters? 

Somehow, I doubt it. You probably didn’t pay too much attention to English Lit in school either. All of Hesiod's tales are probably no more real to you than your Disney princesses and fairy tales. That’s okay, I don’t blame you. You are definitely better off believing it’s science fiction and fantasy.

I don’t have such luxuries. My bedtime stories were all real. None of the tales my brothers and I were told came from books. My parents lived every one of the adventures they told us about.

You see, my parents are demigods: half-blood children of the gods of Olympus with a mortal. They aren’t just any half-bloods either. My father is Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. My mom is Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom. To those of us that know the truth, they are legends. I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing they are. A lot of you wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them, but I’m not here to tell you their stories.

These are my adventures, so enjoy the ride. Who knows, maybe these will end up being bedtime stories that you will tell your kids someday. I’m Charlotte Jackson, my friends call me Charlie. It falls to me now to carry on the legacy. 

I’m sure you are wondering that if I am the daughter of two demigods, then what does that make me? Well, those of us who are direct descendants of the gods are called legacies. demigods rarely make it to adulthood. They don’t often live to be old enough to get married...to have children of their own. Our lives are dangerous and don’t let anyone tell you differently. 

Demigods that are lucky to survive usually retire to a normal mortal life. Maybe they get married. Maybe have some kids. More often than not, their children are mortal. However, a rare few are more. I happen to come from a very powerful lineage. 

Pops, that’s what I call my grandfather, is one of the big three. They are the three most powerful of the Olympian family. Zeus rules the skies, Hades the underworld, and of course, grandpa is Poseidon; King of the Seas, the Earthshaker, and Lord of Horses. Athena is still pretty sore that I took after Dad’s side of the family, but I think I've got a little of her in me too.

At any rate, there aren’t many of us legacy kids. The few children that have shown any abilities or powers just join the demigods at Camp Half-blood. Not much has changed at camp. The gods still have half-blood children. We get a few newbies every year. Mr. D is still the camp director, not that he could be bothered to direct anything besides a rousing game of pinochle. Then, there’s Chiron. He is my mentor and the camp’s activities director. 

After spending the entire school year stuck in the streamlined education system of the great state of New York, I was free. The last day of school meant that I could go back to camp for the summer. No more homework, no boring lectures, no struggling with dyslexia and ADHD. 

In a couple of weeks, I would be able to celebrate my fifteenth birthday with all of my real friends. I was counting down the minutes until we could cross the barrier. I was already packed up and ready to go. 

I was free for the rest of the day until dinner. There wasn’t a whole lot for me to do, so I dug in my desk drawer for my headphones. Fortunately, they were right where I’d left them after cleaning my room. I’m not a particularly messy person, but my desk and closet had needed a bit of straightening up. The better part of my week was spent making sure my room passed mom’s inspection and that all of my chores were done. I didn’t want to delay our trip, so I made sure to be on my best behavior. 

I now had the spare time to get comfortable and zone out to my favorite playlist. When my brother, Masen, came into the room and yanked one of my earbuds away, I had been dozing off to Adam Levine’s Wait.

“Damn it, Masen. What the hell?” I growled and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

I have two younger brothers—twins. The boys are identical except for Masen’s heterochromia. It means his eyes are each a different color; one steel gray like Mom and the other sea-green like Dad. Jason and I both have sea-green eyes. The boys are both tall and lean; a typical swimmer’s physique. All three of us may have inherited that from Dad too. They did, however, both inherit Mom’s blonde hair. Mine is the color of rich espresso, almost an inky black like Dad’s.

Despite their looks, they are as different as night and day. Masen is usually the quiet, studious, lone-wolf type. Jason is loud, adventurous, and impulsive. 

Mace ignored my sour tone and sat on my desk chair, rolling it closer to my bed while inspecting the room as he went.

“All packed,” he observed.

“Yep,” I confirmed, motioning unnecessarily to my suitcase and backpack. “We just have to load up the van in the morning.” 

He nodded absently, running a hand through his perfectly quiff styled hair in a very familiar gesture. It must be a Jackson thing, because all of us, including my dad, do the hair thing. I knew he was nervous about going to camp for the first time. Now that the twins were twelve, Mom had given her blessing for them to go. 

They were both excited of course. After all of the stories, I told them about camp half-blood and the fun things we get to do, who wouldn’t be? Masen’s apprehensive about our cabin assignments. The half-bloods stay in the cabin belonging to their particular godly parent, but we legacies have another option. Being descendants of two gods, we could wind up in the cabin of either one. 

It was clear to me early on where I would belong. I love the sea. The water soothes me and it is the only place where I can clear my muddled thoughts. It's as natural as breathing—which I can actually do underwater. I am the only camper in Poseidon’s cabin three. I have my suspicions that Jason would be joining me this year. He seemed to be exhibiting water-related abilities like mine.

Things with Masen were more subtle. He is smart, a problem solver, and never makes a move without a plan. Nothing escapes his keen eyes. It makes sense that he would fit in with the Athena kids, but therein lies the problem. Mace would have to share bunks with a decent-sized group that he knows nothing about. It was one thing spending time with siblings, and an entirely different thing spending it with strangers. Masen prefers flying solo. 

“Alright,” I sighed, “what’s up Mace?” 

“Tell me again what it’s like at camp?”

“You’ll have fun,” I promised encouragingly. “You are going to kick butt at capture the flag with the rest of the Athena campers. The counselor, Luz Zamora, is pretty cool too.”

“I still don’t know anyone, and we can’t even sit together during meal times.” he protested.

“True.” I said, “but you’ll get to know them soon enough. Jace and I will still be there. We can hang out at any other time. It’s not like you can’t come to our cabin. Besides, you’ll be so busy that it won’t matter.

Masen still looked skeptical.

“You promise?” he asked, “I mean— that you’ll be there.”

I ruffled his hair and he frowned, quickly running his hand through to fix it. “We Jackson’s stick together. Of course, I will be there”

There was a knock at the frame of my open door and it put an end to our conversation for the moment. It was Jason. He stepped into the room looking between us curiously.

“Jam session without me?”

“Nah,” I said. “Mace was just asking about camp. Did you pack? Don’t wait till the last minute. You take forever, Jace.”

“I’ve still got time after dinner,” Jason said noncommittally with a shrug, “which by the way is ready now. Mom sent me upstairs to get you two.”

I gave Masen a look that clearly read 'help me'. He smirked and got up from my chair.

“He’ll be packed. Let’s get dinner.” Masen assured me,

I followed behind them, my hands on Masen’s shoulders guiding him out of my bedroom with Jason leading the way downstairs.

Dinner was uneventful. Mom made steak and potatoes, a house favorite, and we talked about plans for tomorrow morning. Jace was again reminded to pack and I grinned at him from across the table which he returned with a scowl. We all knew how much of a procrastinator he could be.

We had my favorite blue chocolate chip cookies for dessert, and then I helped dad with the dishes. When we finished cleaning up I went back upstairs to my room contemplating turning in early.

I decided to call my best friend, Calista instead. We had plans to pick her up from the airport on our way to camp. She was flying in from Indianapolis which was roughly a four-hour flight. I hadn’t seen her for the better part of a year, so I was understandably ecstatic that we’d finally get to hang out.

Calista answered on the second ring.

“Charlie!” she squealed happily into the receiver. 

I laughed, “Hey, Callie.”

“Can you believe it?” She was barely able to contain the excitement in her voice. “Only hours away, I’m counting down the minutes, Chica!”

I could picture my best friend bouncing on her tiptoes. Calista has a rather infectious amount of energy. She can’t ever sit still for very long.

“I know!” I enthused. “Are you ready?”

“As ready as I'll ever be. Double and triple checked that I packed everything. Set my alarm for the flight too.” 

“Flight arrives at eleven fifteen?”

“Yep. As long as there are no delays,” she confirmed.

“We’ll be there,” I promised.

Calista and I talked, well—gossiped, for about an hour on the phone. We went from talking about the end of our school year to our plans for the summer. She was looking forward to starting one of the projects at bunker nine while I was itching to beat the Ares cabin at the capture the flag games we have every year. Climbing to the top of the lava wall and visiting the stables were at the top of my list too. We probably would have stayed on the phone a bit longer, but Callie had to be up early to catch her flight. We said our goodbyes knowing that we’d get to see each other in the morning.

I yawned and stretched, then went across the hall to check on the boys. They were both asleep in their respective bunks. Thankfully, I noticed both suitcases and backpacks were ready to go by their bedroom door.

Jason hadn’t even bothered to change. He’d fallen asleep on the top bunk still wearing his Hades video game shirt and black jeans. One of his canvas high tops was cast to the floor while the other was still on his right foot. I pulled off the shoe and tucked his blanket over him. He had been playing some sort of mobile game so I made sure to plug the phone into his charger and left it on the nightstand.

Masen fell asleep reading one of his Batman comics. His hair was still damp from a recent shower. He hadn’t bothered with a shirt and just threw on some sweatpants. I set his comic book aside next to Jason’s phone and tucked him in as well.

Once I was done, I called out a good night to my parents and went to change for bed. 

...

I’ll start by saying that it was complete chaos in the morning. I was grateful to be well-rested enough to deal with all the crazy.

Mom was trying to get everyone to eat breakfast amidst our bickering over the two bathrooms in the house. Dad kept trying to load all of our luggage into his Toyota Sienna only to get derailed every time one of the boys made him go back out to add stuff they forgot. I think Jace made him go back on at least three separate occasions. He threatened that anything else would now be left behind.

In an attempt to get some quiet and privacy in the bathroom, I relented to letting the boys have it first. I wasn’t planning on taking very long anyway. I finished my ablutions in record time and then got dressed in a pair of my most comfortable jeans and a camp half-blood tee. I pulled my long, dark hair into a messy ponytail and was ready to go as soon as I put on my converse.

“Let’s go guys. We have to get on the road or we’ll be late to the airport.” Dad called from the front door.

I swung my backpack over my shoulder and headed for the stairs. The twins raced by sounding like a stampede, barely giving me enough time to get out of the way. I rolled my eyes and followed after them. 

“Watch it, you two!” Dad called to their retreating backs, though I was pretty sure they weren’t listening over their laughs and shoving each other around.

He sighed in exasperation and I joined him at the foot of the stairs. 

I tried to hide the grin as I deadpanned, “they used to be so cute when they were little. What happened?”

“You’re all a bunch of comedians is what it is. Come on let’s get going.” 

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as mom joined us. He put an arm around each of us, dropped a kiss on the top of my head, then kissed mom.

“Ew, guys,” I said, ducking out of the way. “Get a room.”

“Definitely raising a bunch of comedians,” Dad intoned, trying not to laugh.

“They get it from you, Seaweed Brain,” Mom reminded him with a grin.

He smirked unapologetically. “They do. Don’t they?”

We finally managed to get the show on the road - and straight into morning traffic. It was still a weekday so the working commuters were making their way to their destinations at a snail's pace. It was lucky we left an hour early to make the drive from Manhattan to JFK International Airport.

When we finally arrived at the airport and drove to the terminal, I watched closely for Callie. It didn’t take long to spot her. Though she is tiny like a pixie, our bright orange Camp Half-blood shirts stand out. 

“There she is, Dad,” I pointed out, spotting her walking out of the building and dodging rushing commuters. 

Callie was indeed wearing her camp shirt with denim bermudas, high top chucks, and a tool belt around her waist. Her willowy frame easily slipped through the throng of people. I could tell her eyes were searching for our van, and the minute she spotted us, she waved. We pulled into the pick-up lane and I was hopping out of the back seat before he even put it into park.

I generally describe my best friend as a pixie or a nymph almost, and it isn't too far off. She’s petite, with soft angular features and long black curls with warm, reflective auburn tones. Her almond-shaped eyes are the color of melted caramel.

There was a lot of squealing, bouncing, and hugging involved. Dad had to grab Callie’s temporarily abandoned bags—she’d dropped everything the moment we were within arm's reach of each other, and loaded everything with the rest of our luggage. He herded us back into the van and we were off again.

When we arrived at camp, Dad parked beside a trio of Delphi Strawberry Services vans. They are the camp’s primary transportation whether Argus, the security guard, is delivering strawberries or giving a demigod a ride to start their quest. Argus...takes some getting used to. He’s like some sort of hundred-eyed giant that reminds me of a bleach-blonde surfer. The eyes are super creepy.

We unloaded our van and made our way past the border. The boys were immediately excited. They pointed out a lot of the things I'd told them, like Thalia’s tree and the old purple dragon Peleus, which they considered cool even though it spent its days lazily curled around the tree. They both wanted to try the Climbing Wall and visit the arena.

“We’re going to go talk to Chiron,” Mom said as we got closer to the Big House. “Can I trust you to get these two settled and show them around?”

“Yeah, Mom. I’ll take them out to cabin three with me until tonight’s campfire.”

“Behave,” Dad reminded the twins, eyeing Jason in particular.

I’m not sure that they heard him as they stood staring in awe at the Athena Parthenos that loomed in the distance. 

Callie stayed with us as I gave the boys their camp tour. I led them by the amphitheater, arts and crafts pavilion, and the volleyball court. We came up to the cabins next, stopping by the Poseidon cabin to drop off our things. Then we made our way to the Hephaestus cabin to do the same for Cal. She promised a few of her cabin mates that she would meet up with them at the forge later.

Our next stop was the armory where the boys marveled at the available weaponry and gear. Masen showed interest in the bows and it was fortunate that Phoenix from the Apollo cabin was there organizing a supply inventory check. I asked him to help Mace pick out a good bow while Jason and I looked for something a little more up close and personal.

I’ve liked the feel of a good sword in my hand ever since dad started teaching me how to use one. I looked for a decent blade, testing the weight of a few. In the end, I selected a xiphos that was at least satisfactory. I tied the sword’s scabbard around my waist then helped Jace with his. He seemed to prefer the curving blade of a kopis, though the particular sword he chose was not quite as large as a traditional one. I know a thing or two about swords. More than is probably normal for most girls.

“Good choice.” a quiet voice commented to Jason. “Only thing better than that would be one made from stygian iron.”

The voice startled me and I tensed until I turned to face him. Hayden Di Angelo was leaning against the door frame of the armory, arms crossed over his chest, his dark blue eyes watching us.

“You would know,” I said. “Only children of Hades and Hades himself carry weapons made from stygian iron.”

Our eyes met and his lips curved into a crooked smile.

“True,” Hayden conceded, his gaze intense. He pushed off the door frame and walked over to join us. “Hello, Charlie.”

I blinked and looked away. He could be extremely distracting, especially being so close. It was hard to function properly whenever tall, dark, and mysterious was around. 

“Hi, Hayden,” I said, risking a glance at the Hades boy. “You remember my little brother Jason?”

“I do,” he replied. “Welcome to camp.”

He held out his hand to Jace and they shook.

“Um, thanks,” Jace replied unsure of what to make of our exchange. He could tell something was off.

“Well, I'll let you get back to showing your brother the ropes. Catch you later?”

I nodded, “Sure. Later...”

Hayden left us then and I could see that Jason already had a million questions. I could have groaned. Mercifully, Masen and Callie rejoined then, which put playing twenty questions on pause for the time being. 

“So are we ready to continue the tour?” I asked now that we were mostly armed and dangerous.

“What’s next?” Masen asked eagerly, his apprehension from the previous night seemed to have evaporated.

“The forge and then the arena?” I asked, looking to Callie for confirmation.

“Sounds good. I have to head in that direction anyway.”

The forge is one of three places you’d find a Hephaestus kid. They were the tinkerers of the gods; making gadgets, weapons, and all sorts of other things. Their work is usually pretty amazing. As a son of Hephaestus, Callie’s dad was unmatched and set the bar for genius pretty high. Building the Argo II and repairing Festus the dragon made him legendary. Leo Valdes was the best tinkerer since my namesake Charles Beckendorf, or so I’m told

We spent some time introducing the boys and showing them around before we bid our goodbyes to Cal and headed to the arena.

It was still early in the summer, there weren’t many kids at camp yet besides the year-rounders. Luckily, there were still enough that a couple of spars were going on. It wasn’t surprising that the Ares kids were dominating. 

“Hey, Jackson!” Someone called loudly. Hearing our name, all three of us turned at the same time. “You made it. Finally, some decent competition.”

I grinned, recognizing Renee Brandt at the far end of the field. We have a nice competitive rivalry going on. She likes a good challenge, and of course, everyone knows about the Jackson and Ares rivalry. Yep, leave it to Dad to start trouble with the god of war. I think Ares is still pretty salty about being defeated by a twelve-year-old. His kids have been out to defend his honor ever since.

She jogged over and looked at the three of us appraisingly. “Who are the newbies?”

“Jackson’s,” I smirked. “You know I have brothers.”

“You never said anything about there being two of them, much less twins,” Renee accused.

I shrugged, “you never asked.” 

“Great,” she groaned. “Now I have to deal with all three of you at the same time.”

“We’re right here. You know?” Jason gripped. “Nobody said you have to deal with us.”

“Nah,” I said to Renee, ignoring Jason’s remark. “You gotta get through me to get to my brothers, and we all know you can’t.”

Renee was outraged. Sometimes I’m too much like my dad for my own good. I love stirring up trouble with the Ares kids. It must be in our blood. Either way, I hadn’t lost a sword fight yet.

“Let’s settle this right here and now then.”

“I’m game,” I said. “First to disarm?”

Masen had been quietly observing. A slow smile broke across his face as I unsheath my sword. He’d taken into account that the Ares girl was several inches taller than me with a bit more muscle. There would be power behind her attacks but it wouldn’t help her against my speed and agility. This I already knew.

“You’ll have her down in three,” Masen told me confidently.

“What was that prissy boy?” She growled.

I moved in front of Masen, getting in Renee’s face. Her blue eyes glared down at me.

“The fight is right here, Renee. I told you. You have to get through me.”

Renee laughed and unsheathed her weapon, “I’m not afraid of you, Little Mermaid.”

“You should be.”

“Three,” Masen repeated, “and you won’t lay a scratch on my sister.”

She scoffed and glowered at him. We both took a few steps away from each other and the boys moved to the sidelines. We’d garnered the attention of some of the other bystanders as well, so now we had an audience.

I shifted, getting into a position like Dad taught me. Standing at a 45-degree angle, I opened my stance leading with my left foot, hips facing towards my opponent. It was firm positioning and provided all of the support I needed. Holding my sword upright and perpendicular to the ground in front of me, I waited.

As expected, Renee immediately charged. I parried each attack and stepped back each time I redirected her movements. My opening would come. I’m patient but knew that Renee was frustrated easily.

Our swords clashed a few more times, and then I was no longer defending.

One advance…then two…

I’d found the flow of the fight and easily gained control. I let her into my defenses, feinting an attack. I blocked instead, held her sword in place, and pushed her back with my foot. 

Three... 

She lost her balance and was on the ground with the point of my sword at her throat. Her weapon was just out of reach where it had landed.

“Do you concede?” I asked breathlessly.

“Fine!” Renee huffed.

I sheathed my sword and offered her a hand which she promptly slapped away. I shrugged and moved out of her way.

“Next time, Jackson. Next time so help me...” she grumbled, brushing herself off and reclaiming her weapon.

She pushed past me and stalked away from the arena without another word. A few of her cabin mates followed after her and the rest of our spectators dispersed.

“Guess she doesn’t know how to be a good sport,” Masen said, grinning widely.

“Salty,” I agreed.

We moved on. The archery range was our next stop on the tour. A few Apollo kids were practicing and we hung back to watch. Masen seemed eager to join one of the scheduled classes. I warned him that it wouldn’t be as easy as the children of Apollo made it look, but it didn’t look like anything would dissuade him.

Our final stop for the day was exciting enough to get them moving again. The stables are home to the camp’s pegasi and other equine creatures. Pegasi were free to seek refuge here whenever they needed and they were well taken care of. Whenever I wasn’t around, the Aphrodite kids did a good job of keeping them brushed and exercised while the rest of the campers did their part in keeping the stables clean.

I hadn’t been around the pegasi for a long time, so I was excited to see them, and the boys shared in the enthusiasm. They had never seen pegasi before, and just about everything about camp awed them.

The minute I walked into the stables I let out a long whistle. A gorgeous black and white stallion trotted up to me. 

‘My lady,’ Zorro said with a nuzzle, ‘I have missed you.’

"I've missed you too, Z"

I hugged the pegasi, enjoying the feel of his coat beneath my fingers and against my cheek. It had been too long. I hated being away from Zorro, but my parents insisted on my getting an education and leading a normal life. Well, as much as the life of a demigod could be normal. 

Jason gasped as he watched me cuddle the winged horse. “I heard him! I can understand what he was saying!”

“What are you talking about? You speak pony now?” Masen asked, puzzled.

Zorro snorted at him, unamused. Slightly miffed that he was called a pony. ‘This one is not a child of Poseidon.’ 

“He takes after our mother,” I said to Zorro, feeling a little sad. This was something I wouldn’t be able to share with my brother. Further proof that he favored the Athena side of the family. 

“We can understand equine creatures,” I went on to explain to Masen. “It’s a Poseidon thing.”

“Ah,” he said quietly, clearly disappointed that now there was yet another thing that set him apart. It marred the initial thrill of meeting the pegasi.

“I can still teach both of you how to ride,” I promised, trying to lighten the sudden change in mood.

Masen smiled at that. It seemed to appease him that he would still be included in some way. He reached to pet Zorro but stopped himself. 

“May I?” he asked, looking at the pegasi for permission as he spoke.

Zorro whinnied softly and nudged Masen’s hand, understanding what he wanted. Taking it as consent, he ran his hand along the pegasi’s coat.

“So beautiful,” he whispered reverently. 

‘Hey well if it isn’t the boss’ brood!’

A second pegasus with a gorgeous onyx coat approached us. He snorted and nudged Jason from behind, nearly pushing him over.

“Hey!” Jason laughed, petting the stallion’s muzzle. “Watch it. Who is the boss supposed to be anyway?”

I shook my head, laughing as well. “That’s what he calls Dad. His name is Blackjack. He is dad’s pegasus. This here is Zorro.”

“They are so cool.”

‘Boss Jr. knows what’s up.’ Blackjack knickered approvingly.

I patted Blackjack. “Yes, they are amazing.”

We spent some time with the pegasi. Jason took a liking to Blackjack and he took the time to brush the stallion’s coat until it shone. Masen helped me with Zorro while we talked about other activities that the three of us would get to do.

We lost track of time and I was surprised by the sound of the conch reverberating through camp calling everyone to dinner. We cleaned up and bid the pegasi goodbye for the night before joining the other campers making their way to dinner. 

Callie caught up to us along the way and she hooked her arm around mine talking a mile a minute. She was excited about some project the Hephaestus kids were working on until someone else caught her attention. She was gone as quickly as she had appeared. I shook my head and laughed. She would turn up again after dinner. Cal could never be still anywhere for very long.

The smell of the food made me realize how hungry I was. We’d skipped lunch and spent the day exploring the camp, so we hadn’t even thought about food. Jason seemed to have the same idea as he took double servings of practically everything. I led the boys to the hearth to make their offerings and we went to take our seats.

As per usual, the big three had fairly empty tables. There were no children of Zeus. Hayden sat alone at the Hades table and until today, I sat alone at the Poseidon table. The boys were both joining me at least for tonight. No doubt that Jason would end up in cabin three.

I taught them how to use the goblets, and they got a kick out of ordering different drinks until it became a game and the drinks got spilled all over the table. Before I could react to the mess, Jason manipulated the liquids back into their respective cups like it never happened.

There were a few gasps from the Demeter table next to us. At first, I thought it was because of Jace’s cheap trick, but then I followed their gaze and saw the glow over my brother’s head. The glow melded into the shape of a trident. Pops must have found Jace’s antics pretty amusing.

I grinned at him, “welcome officially to cabin three, little bro.”

As Athena would never be outdone, a second mark lit up the sky over Masen’s head - the mark of Athena’s patronage. Several kids from cabin six whooped and cheered. Then the rest of the tables made some noise as well. Masen flushed in embarrassment, but I could tell that he was secretly pleased. 

It was a proud moment for Mom too. From her seat, at Mr. D’s table, I could see her join in the applause and cheers.

The day was drawing to a close as we sat around the huge fire in the amphitheater. The Apollo kids were leading the songs with their musical prowess and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Eventually, the campers started to drift away to their cabins for the night. We met up with Mom and Dad to say good night.

“Don’t forget to get your things from cabin three,” Mom reminded Masen as she pulled him in for a hug. “Luz is your counselor. She’ll assign you a bunk.”

“I got it, Mom,” Masen replied.

She ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead before completely letting go. 

Jason tried his best to look inconspicuous behind me, hiding from Mom. He knew she would be coming for him next. It was a lost cause. Dad snagged me around the waist, giving me a one-armed hug, and I wrapped my arms around him leaning into the embrace. This left Jason open for Mom’s fussing. She made her admonishments and hugged her boy before trading with Dad.

I hugged her and she pressed a kiss to my forehead. 

“Watch out for them,” she whispered against my hair.

“You know I will. Good night, Mom,” I said with a quick nod. 

“You,” Dad said, eyeing me. “Curfew is at eleven. Remember the harpies can be scarier than I am.”

“You say that every summer, Dad,” I chided.

“That’s because I know my kids. You are just as bad as I was,” he chuckled, “Just keep your brothers out of trouble.”

“Aye, aye, Boss!” I teased.

He rolled his eyes, but we said our final goodbyes and went our separate ways. Mom and dad would be staying up at the Big House, so I led the way to our cabins. 

“Are you sure I can’t just stay here with you guys?” Mace asked as he shouldered his backpack.

I shook my head. “It's the rules. Gotta stay with your godly-um siblings? Or is it aunts and uncles?”

“Yeah - uh no. How about we don’t label that right now?”

I shrugged and collapsed into my bunk, folding my arms behind my head. “You gonna be alright getting back to six?”

Masen nodded. “I’ll be fine. See you in the morning?”

“Bright and early.”

He groaned, grabbed his duffle bag and Jason walked him out.

As the boys walked out, my eyes started to drift shut. It had been a good day. A very long day, but good nonetheless. I was beginning to doze off when Jace tossed a pillow at me.

I caught it and cracked an eye open. “What’s with you?”

“Out with it.”

“With what?”

“Did you think I would forget?” He raised his eyebrow.

I sat up and glowered at him, “I’m still not sure what you are talking about.”

“The Hades kid,” he said as though it was the most obvious thing.

“Oh” I was quickly at a loss for words.

He tossed another pillow at me intending for it to smack me in the face. 

“Hayden is just a friend.”

“Right,” he rolled his eyes. “And I totally missed the way he was looking at you. Just friends… ” 

I didn’t miss the sarcasm. 

Hayden Di Angelo had been watching me. Why?

The thought made my heart skip a beat.

“He wasn’t looking at me in any particular way,” I insisted. “Anyway, what would you know about that?”

“You are oblivious,” Jace said, shaking his head. 

He stole back one of the pillows and went to lay in his bed. 

“Isn’t he uncle Nico and Will’s kid?”

“Yeah. Him and his sister Ely.” I said.

Jason yawned and it gave me hope that he wouldn't be asking questions for much longer. I would be escaping to the bathroom to change anyway. I got out of bed again and grabbed my pajamas from my suitcase and headed for the bathroom.

“I’m going to go change for bed,” I announced in a tone that I hoped ended the conversation.

He yawned again and muttered drowsily, “I don't like it.”

I ignored him and escaped to the facilities.

I changed clothes and brushed my teeth. I even brushed out my hair, delaying as much as could in the hopes that he would be asleep by the time I returned. I peeked around the door to check.

It looked like he’d just barely managed to kick off his shoes before turning over and burrowing into his blanket. I sighed in relief and went to lay down. It mystified me the way the boys managed to fall asleep so quickly. The pair of them would sleep like the dead until noon if they didn’t have to get up for school or chores. Sleep eluded me that night.


	2. We Get Visitors from the West

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chiron announces a visit from Camp Jupiter. Plans are being made for a rousing game of capture the flag.

Chapter Two

The design of cabin three has one fatal flaw. I'll deny it, because Poseidon’s cabin is beautiful with its sea stone and coral accents, but the windows all face the Long Island Sound and let in way too much natural light in the morning. At any other time, the view is breathtaking, except when I'm trying to sleep in.

I wasn’t ready to be awake yet, but the sun insisted on making its presence known. I pulled my pillow over my head and groaned. Why did Apollo have to be so punctual? I tried to ignore the garish light, but Jason was already up and bustling about. I waited until I heard the water shut off before I sat up and stretched.

Jason wandered out the bathroom in a camp shirt and khaki cargo shorts, towel drying his hair.

“Morning,” I mumbled and tried to stifle a yawn.

“Good morning,” he replied. “I thought you’d be up way before me.”

He tossed the towel into the laundry hamper and sat at the end of his bunk to put on his shoes.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and tried to convince myself to get up and move. He was right. Mom and I are usually the first ones up before everyone else in the house. I didn’t get much sleep. I confessed to that fact as I got up and rummaged through my clothes for something to wear.

“Well, hurry up,” he demanded. “I don’t want to be late.”

I laughed, “since when are you on time for anything Jason Jackson?”

“Since we’re not at school,” he quipped.

On that note, I shut the door to the bathroom behind me. It didn’t take me long to wash up and get ready for the day. A quick shower and I decided to leave my hair down to air dry. I changed into my favorite band shirt and jeans, threw my shoes on, and we were good to go.

Mornings at camp are generally uneventful; as uneventful as any day at camp could be. The activities run on a schedule. For the most part, you knew what to expect. Jason and I made our way to the dining pavilion for breakfast.

I noticed Masen, animatedly talking to one of the other Athena campers. They were joining the procession of kids heading in the same direction. I caught his eye and smiled encouragingly. He grinned. I was happy to see him making friends. He wasn’t such a lone-wolf after all. All he had to do was find the right kind of people it seemed.

We all loaded our trays with our desired breakfast and went to take our seats. It was only me and Jason this morning as Masen joined his new friends from cabin six. Once everyone settled down at their tables, Chiron called for attention.

“Campers, a few quick announcements before we get back to our meals please. First, Mr. D and I have made arrangements this summer for Camp Jupiter to visit us next week.”

A smattering of applause and excited discussion filled the pavilion. Chiron paused and held his hand up for quiet, and we settled down again so that he could continue.

“Those visiting from Camp Jupiter should be here sometime next Monday afternoon. I expect you all to be welcoming and on your best behavior.” He put an emphasis on his expectations. “On Friday, we’ll show them some camp spirit by taking part in a game of capture the flag. Camp Half-blood versus Camp Jupiter.”

Again, excitement broke out across the tables. It wasn’t often that we got to play against the other camp. Some of the older kids could remember that Camp Jupiter won the last game three years ago. We needed to take our flag back. This was the first time that my cabin would be participating, and I was hoping to help tip the scales.

Jason nudged me. “We’re going up against Camp Jupiter? That’s the Romans right?”

I nodded. “Yeah. We have a score to settle. We’re going to take that flag this time.”

“Yeah, we are,” Jason agreed.

Chiron got everyone to settle down one last time. He finished the announcements with a reminder, my parents would be teaching a few lessons. Dad would be out at the arena for sword and shield training and Mom was taking over ancient Greek lessons.

We got to eat soon after that. Jason and I were planning what we were going to do for the day when a satyr I recognized wandered over.

I was happy to see Chuck Hedge. It had been disappointing when we hadn’t run into each other yesterday when we arrived. He took a seat across the table from me and next to Jason.

“Hey, Charlie!” he greeted.

“Hi, Chuck,” I said. “Where were you yesterday?”

“I got back this morning,” he divulged, looking proud of himself. “Brought back a new kid. Thinking he might be one of Apollo’s, but he’s with Rick over at the Hermes cabin for now.”

“Look at you, being all super protector.”

Chuck beamed at me and bit off a chunk of the aluminum can he’d brought with him. “Another one for the books. That makes what? At least three newbies this summer?”

“Yep. Mace is over at the Athena table,” Jason contributed, nodding over at table six.

“That’s not shocking,” Chuck quipped. “That kid is a genius.”

Jason pretended to take offense. “What am I? Chopped liver?”

“Sorry, kid. I’m betting my drachma on brains versus brawn,” the satyr teased.

“Watch it,” I said in mock severity. “We can still drown you.”

Chuck smirked at me. “You like me too much to do that.”

“Sure about that, satyrt?” I hedged.

He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. “Mermaid girl, you know I'd bet on you any day. We’re gonna win that game next week.”

I looked pleasantly appeased as I speared another bite of pancakes.

“Man, I miss grandma’s blue chocolate chip pancakes right about now.” I complained wistfully, drowning my plain cakes in more blueberry syrup. “These are not even close.”

Grandma Sally made the absolute best blue food. My favorite color and my favorite foods all in one. It started back with my dad. She used to make any food she could with blue coloring to prove some kind of point with her ex-husband.

“I wouldn’t say no to some of those blue chocolate chip cookies she makes,” Chuck agreed.

“I have some back at the cabin,” I said. “She knew we were coming to camp this week so she made a big batch.”

Jason looked affronted. “You never said we had cookies!”

“I wasn’t about to let you and Mace eat them all before getting here.”

“That’s so not fair,” he whined.

“You know what they say about fair.”

“Yea, yea. The fair only comes once a year. Blah, blah, blah,” he groused.

Breakfast was almost over and we had a class on sword and shield techniques with our dad next. Chuck said he would meet up with us later as he wanted to check up on the new kid he brought in.

I was looking forward to getting in some practice.Renee would keep me on my toes and couldn't afford to get rusty. I had to admit that the win against her was enough to set the blood flowing.

“Come on, Jason. Let’s get some armor before all the good stuff is gone,” I said getting out of my seat. I didn’t have to tell him twice. We dumped our trash in one of the bins and headed for the armory.

We weren’t the first to arrive in the arena. Renee was there with Dad, waiting to get started. I dithered a couple of paces away, helping Jason secure the leather cuirass over his clothes.

“Ready?” Dad asked, coming over to talk to us.

“As we’ll ever be.”

“I heard you beat Renee in a spar yesterday.”

“Dad, she was awesome,” Jason interrupted before I could get a word in. “You have got to teach me to fight like that.”

“Watch and learn, Young Padawan,” He chuckled.

He was looking at me with clear paternal pride. “I hope both you and Renee won't mind helping me with some demonstrations."

“Dad!” I warned.

“What? You two are the best I’ve got.”

“You do know that Ares hates us, right? You did that. Do you want to tempt fate? I’ve kind of got a reputation to protect here.”

“Exactly,” he smirked.

I sighed, “You’re killing me, Dad.”

“I have absolute faith in you.”

They were both grinning at me now. That shit eating, smug, Jackson grin that our family seemed to be well known for.

“I hate you,” I deadpanned. I couldn’t help the upturned quirk at the corner of my lips though.

A group of Ares, Hermes, and Hephaestus kids was forming and dad started the lesson. He decided to teach some stances and then went into parrying. That was when he called Renee and me over. She would be attacking while I was defending.

It didn’t last as a demo for very long. Renee couldn’t gain any leverage and once again was completely stonewalled. With a growl of frustration she held her sword overhead and put all of her strength into the attack. I knew I wouldn't be able to parry. I stepped into her range. Moving to the right and out the way of her attack before bringing my own sword straight down to hit her arm. The regret was instant when it happened. I got her pretty good and her wound instantly bloodied.

“Gods, I’m sorry!” I said breathlessly.

“Woah, woah, woah. That’s enough for today, you two,” Dad said, then addressed the rest of the group, “Guys, practice your parries for the next lesson.”

The arena started to empty out, leaving us to take care of Renee. Dad hadn’t thought to bring bandages on the first day, not for a simple demonstration.

“Renee, lets go get that taken care of at the Big House,” He suggested.

“No, need, Dad,” I said, wondering why he hadn’t thought of our healing abilities first.

We are by no means as gifted in medicine like those of Apollo, but water has healing properties. I grabbed a bottle of water and carefully grabbed her injured arm. She was glaring and ready to snatch her arm back but I held fast.

“I’m sorry,” I repeated, uncapping the bottle. “I didn’t mean to cut you. Not like this.”

She was still glowering at me, but stopped fighting as I began pouring water over the wound. I concentrated and slowly the water trickled down her arm sealing up the torn skin. Then the gash was gone with no sign that it had ever happened. She turned her arm in amazement.

“That’s actually pretty cool, Jackson,” she capitulated, “I - I’m sorry too.”

I shrugged, “we’re good.”

“We'll have to be more careful with demonstrations,” Dad added.

“I did warn you.”

He raised his arms in a sign of defeat, “lesson learned.”

“It was a good class, Mr. Jackson,” Renee admitted, albeit grudgingly. “I can see why Charlotte is so...”

“It’s Charlie,” I muttered under my breath.

“Experienced,” she finished, ignoring me.

“Um… thanks,” Dad said uncomfortably. “I’ll see everyone again tomorrow. And careful with the sparing guys we’re not trying to maim each other here. Save it for the monsters.”

“Yes, sir,” we said in unison, though unintentionally. 

We glanced at each other and then walked in opposite directions. Jason trailed after me with a look on his face that clearly read: what the hell happened?

Archery class with the Athena and Apollo kids was about to start when Jason and I joined them. Chiron and Phoenix were teaching a few of the younger kids how to knock an arrow. Masen was watching in rapt attention as the Apollo counselor showed another camper how to hold the bow.

I’m not good with a bow myself. I skipped out on archery as soon as I learned the absolute basics, and practice hadn’t helped me become a better shot. I was at the lesson to help my brother's out. They were both starting to explore things at camp and it was only fair that they get to at least try a bit of everything. Mason, it seemed, had shown some interest.

At any rate, I figured some time at the range wouldn’t hurt me...much. After some guidance, everyone lined up a few yards from the targets. Chiron and Phoenix kept giving instructions as they walked around behind us. We took aim and were about to let our first volley fly when a shout to hold our fire rang out from across the field. Everyone lowered the weapons as a petite, dark-haired girl jogged toward us.

“Sorry, Phoenix,” she said, “I was finishing up the inventory for medical supplies and ran a bit late.”

“That’s okay, Ely. Grab your bow and line up next to Jackson.” He paused and looked over at us, “I mean Masen right over there. Almost forgot that there are three of them now.”

Elysia nodded and rushed in the direction Phoenix had pointed out, only to trip. Mace dropped his bow and managed to catch her, and I swear his cheeks were scarlet as he helped her regain her footing. Ely smiled at him warmly as she tucked a lock of her dark chocolate hair behind her ear.

“Hello, Masen,” she said in a soft, almost musical voice. “Good catch.”

“Uh...you’re welcome?” It came out sounding more like a question. Embarrassed, Masen hurried to look away and focused on the target ahead.

We resumed our positions and took our shots. The lesson continued like that for the rest of the hour. Chiron kept correcting my aim to no avail, and I was too distracted to listen. I was more attentive to Mason’s progress. He was actually doing pretty well for his first time, all things considered. I did notice that he kept taking furtive glances at his pretty neighbor.

That’s new.

Chiron dismissed us from the lesson and I thought Masen couldn’t get out of the range fast enough. We fell into a more leisurely pace as we gained some distance from the Apollo kids.

“Was that Ely?” Masen asked as soon as we were out of hearing range.

“Who?” I asked in response, feigning ignorance.

I knew who he was asking about.

He frowned at me. “You know who!”

“Oh, the cute little healer from the Apollo cabin?” I continued to tease.

“Oh, come on!”

“Yes, that was Ely,” I laughed. “It’s been a little while, but you should recognize her. Isn’t she a little bit old for you though? Since when are you interested in chasing girls?”

“Of course, I remember her. I was...confirming. It's not like I'm into her or anything.”

Jason snorted. “You are totally crushing on her, dude. Not bad though, kudos on the older woman.”

“And what do you know about older women?” I inquired, raising an eyebrow at him.

He shrugged, “just sayin’”

“You two are going to give Mom a coronary. Chill out and behave,” I admonished.

“Yeah, after you give Dad a coronary about your boyfriend,” Jason quipped, smirking at me.

Masen’s eyes widened and an identical smirk spread across his features.

“Di An ge lo,” Jason said in a sing-song voice.

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” I insisted.

“Sure, you don’t,” they said in unison.

They laughed and took off running. I growled and gave chase after the pair of hellions. The amount of trouble those two could get up to together was absolutely scary. I definitely didn’t need them instigating an inquisition with Dad and getting him on my case about boys. It would be embarrassing to say the least.

I caught up to the boys as they slowed and we got closer to the amphitheater where we were meeting Mom for the Ancient Greek class. It was an hour-long lecture that would never hold my attention, though gods know that I try.

Every time I glanced at Jason he looked like his mind was miles away. At least, I wasn’t the only one distracted.

At noon, Mom excused us for lunch and I couldn’t escape from the amphitheater fast enough. I wasn't very hungry when we got to the pavilion, but I was glad to be doing something else. I picked at a small bowl of fruit and some sort of fizzy soda while half paying attention to one of Chuck’s stories.

I won’t bore you with the play by play. Despite the fact that there was a lot to do, some days were a little repetitive. The days seem to go by at an excruciating pace when you are waiting for something extraordinary. 

It wasn’t till the following Friday morning that things picked up. Everyone was looking forward to the flag games, and the excitement building was palpable. The kids from Camp Jupiter had arrived earlier in the week, and the two camps had fallen into a friendly rivalry. Activities were a little more fun with all the new faces. It was easier to pass the time.

Now that Friday was here, it was the east coast vs west. Camp Half-Blood versus Camp Jupiter. Both sides were looking to win and everything became a competition. Lines were inevitably drawn. After breakfast, Camp Jupiter split off for the rest of the day. The counselors from our side met up to work out a strategy. Some of us had even deputized a sort of...second in command.

Cabin three is just Jason and me, so he came along for the meeting. To my utter surprise, Luz brought Masen.

“So,” Luz said, taking the initiative as strategist, “the first thing we need to do is set up a home base. We have to guard the flag. We know the camp best and have the home advantage.

“Zeus’ Fist?” Renee suggested.

Damon, the counselor for Ares, nodded in agreement.

“No, let them take the rock. The Parthenos is better,” Masen said, drawing everyone’s attention. “Good visibility, defensible. We’ll see them coming. Who better to watch over this game than Athena herself?”

Luz placed a hand on his shoulder, positively beaming. “That is brilliant, Masen. I second this idea.”

“Third,” I added.

The congregation seemed to agree, except for, to nobody’s surprise, Renee and Damon. They were quickly pacified by the promise that their cabin would lead the charge.

We decided that a mix of Athena and Apollo kids would guard our flag at the Parthenos. We would have our best archers in strategic places where they would have the high ground and be well-hidden. It did seem like the perfect set up.

Calista nominated her cabin to set up traps. The Hephaestus kids would be the best at the job, and they could use most of the day to place a myriad of devices. No one doubted that they would get the job done.

The rest of the cabins were being split between guarding our flag and mounting the attack. Damon immediately picked me to be front line with him and the Ares kids. I glanced at Jason and he looked eager too.

“We’re in,” I agreed.

“I’m with them,” Hayden added, his voice came from behind us.

The room grew quiet. It was the first time he’d said anything since the gathering had started. Hayden was leaning against the wall, behind Jason and me, with his arms crossed and his attention directed only at Damon. Everyone turned to him in astonishment, but no one said anything. It was rare for Hayden to speak up or join in the conversation and an odd moment of tension rose in the room.

“Okay,” Damon hesitated. There wasn't reason to rebuff Hayden though I could tell by his expression that he wasn't thrilled.

Nobody had anything else to say about it and the conversation returned to normal. I glanced over my shoulder at Hayden curiously wondering what he was up to, and our eyes met for a second before Jason elbowed me. I couldn’t voice my question then, so  
I turned back to pay attention to the rest of the counselors.

The meeting broke up about a half hour later. There were still other activities scheduled for the day, and preparations to take care of, and the Hephaestus cabin in particular needed to get started on our traps.

I was in no rush to be anywhere so I hung back wanting to talk to Di Angelo. I noticed that he wasn’t in any particular hurry either. Jason looked at me expectantly, but I told him that I would catch up with him later. Reluctantly, he followed the last of the counselors out.

Hayden moved to leave as well.

“Hayden, wait up,” I called.

“Yes?” He asked, turning back to look at me, his eyebrow raised.

“What was that about earlier?” I queried. “You never...when you said…”

I couldn’t find the right words and was starting to feel pretty foolish. I could feel the heat creep up on my cheeks.

“Do I need a reason?” Hayden asked, taking a few steps toward me. “And of course I meant I was with you.”

He was close enough to touch me now. The back of his hand softly brushed against my jawline as he reached to tug the hair tie out of my hair, letting It cascaded down to frame my face. My lips parted in shock, and I remained completely gobsmacked. Bewildered about how or why Hayden DiAngelo had this kind of effect on me, words continued to elude me.

“I like your hair better this way.” He noted, the corner of his lips quirked ever so slightly. Sliding the hair tie in the pocket of his jeans, he walked away.

It was like he unfroze time with his departure. Was that an ability of Hades? I couldn’t be sure. I released the breath I hadn’t realized I'd been holding and waited for my heart to stop beating erratically. Hayden had left me with more unanswered questions.

I couldn’t imagine what had changed between us, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it either. Sure, we're friends. More so than some of the other campers. There has been a sort of comradery between us since in the past few years we were the only ones representing Poseidon and Hades respectively. I knew him even before camp. Unfortunately, Hayden usually got the rough end of most deals. It's almost as though he radiates some sort of morbid aura. People didn’t exactly warm up to him like they did his twin sister Elysia from the Apollo cabin.

I guess I hated the double standard. Ely was easily accepted as an Apollo legacy. Hayden hadn’t been as lucky, ostracized from the rest as the grandchild of Hades. They were both from the same family, different sides of the coin. A family I had known for most of my life. I wasn’t going to stop being friends because the collective wrote him off as dark and dangerous.

But again...what had changed? I’ll admit Hayden Di Angelo is pretty easy on the eyes. Eyes being the operative word. His dark, sapphire blue eyes could draw you in and see right through you with their intensity. Then there was the jet black hair framing the chiseled features of his perfect face. It was long enough to have that messy, windblown skater boy look. The rest of him wasn’t bad either. He is fairly tall for our age and has a well toned athletic body beneath all the moody rocker gear.

Okay...maybe I was kind of, sort of, crushing on him.

My fingers trailed along my jawline as he had done a moment before. I could still feel the warmth of his feather-light touch. A smile unconsciously spread across my face though I sobered fast. The smile went as quickly as it had come. Hayden wasn’t the boyfriend type. I doubted he liked me that way. I ran a hand through my mussed hair and decided that Hayden Di Angelo owed me a hair tie and an explanation.


	3. My Little Brother Takes the Flag

The sun was setting over the eastern hills when Chiron gathered everyone together. We were all outside of the armory, armed and in full Greek regalia. The Romans outfitted with their imperial gold and far more shields on their side. They were heavier and a lot clunkier, but they had better protection. Luz had anticipated the phalanx formations. 

The militarized legionnaires were predictable compared to our camp. That is where our advantage would be. That...and they were expecting me to break their ranks. I made no promises besides doing my best with a sword but I still knew why they wanted me at the front line. I sent a prayer to my grandfather and hoped I wouldn’t disappoint anyone.

I was too distracted to listen to Chiron’s lecture. It was the usual spiel about the rules, and I’d heard them dozens of times during my summers at camp. I tuned the centaur out and observed the opposition. They looked so...organized.

“Are you ready, Mermaid girl?” 

It was the second time he managed to sneak up on me. He materialized from nowhere, a Stygian iron sword at his waist and a helmet tucked under one arm.

“Are you?” I returned, answering his question with a question.

“I’m not the one they’re counting on.” he reminded me.

“They might get disappointed.” I admitted, “I’m not my dad.”

“That isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

“Isn’t it though?” I insisted.

“No, not one bit,” he replied earnestly.

I knew he meant what he said when he met my eyes. I couldn’t understand such unwarranted faith. I had never done anything particularly amazing. I’d never even been on a quest before. I hadn’t fought actual monsters. All the clout I had was because of my name. 

Poseidon. 

Jackson. 

A powerful god and a legendary hero. What happens when I fail? 

I exude this confidence and bravado, but the truth is that there is an incredible amount of pressure for me to lead - to fill my parent’s shoes. I’m not as confident as I pretend to be. The hype for the event reduced to zero at that moment, completely evaporating the second we all gathered. It was like the initial thrill of cliff diving and getting cold feet right as you get to the precipice to jump. I didn’t know what else to say to him.

“Listen, once this begins, you make your way to Zephyros creek. You don’t stop. You don’t look back. We’ll keep the path clear. The only way we win this is if you take the water. We can’t give them enough time to get organized,” he told me in a hushed tone.

“Is that the plan? I thought…”

“That’s what our camp is expecting of you.”

“But what if I can’t? What if I don’t make it?”

“Don’t lose your confidence now. You’ll make it.”

I shook my head and glanced away. Chiron finished speaking and was about to signal the start of the game. The Ares kids flanked me on each side, Hayden, and Jason amongst them. They would either be following me to victory or absolute failure tonight. 

Chiron blew on the conch. It was time.

Scrimmages broke out across the lines immediately. I lost a few of the Ares kids to the fight when they clashed with an entire cohort of the legion. I had to fight the urge to stay and help. Instead, I gave chase to a group of legionnaires as they turned about-face and headed into the northern woods. Hayden was right. If they took control over the creek, all they had to do was lock their defenses and keep me out. 

I pushed myself faster. Leaving the fighting to Hayden and Damon who were keeping pace taking down anyone that got in my way. I didn’t look back to see who else was behind us. Every time I tried, Hayden was there pushing me through the bedlam. 

I could hear the water before I saw the line of legionnaires that stood in my way. I started to slow down, but the shouts to keep going urged me forward. 

Do not stop! 

Instinctively, I tugged at the water from the creek behind the Romans and it rose at my will. A large wave crashed over the warriors directly in front of me, clearing a path. As soon as my feet hit the water I could feel the rush of energy and it rose in another wave propelling me across. I was getting ready to dive into a tuck and roll to land on solid ground at the other side when I heard a loud, feral snarl.

I balked and lost control of the water and was about to careen into a massive black bear. The thing seemed to have materialized from nowhere. I closed my eyes trying desperately to regain control. Finally, the cool water enveloped me like a thin, fluid armor and I curled up into a ball and slammed into the beast with all the force of a raging river.

The bear was pushed several yards away without issue as I landed in a crouch and felt the water recede. For the moment, the creature seemed dazed. The soldiers behind that had been caught in the wave were also trying to recover.

I stood and ran back to the edge of the creek. I would have better control If I was standing in it. I heard the bear roar again and I chanced a glance over my shoulder, hoping it hadn’t recovered that quickly.

I shouldn’t have looked.

As I watched in horror, it reduced in size, its muscles contracting and morphing into a slimmer, feline creature. The black coat took on a tawny color with a pattern of solid black spots. It was a cheetah. A random bear in the forest I could believe, but this big wild cat was a beast that did not naturally belong here. This shapeshifting monster wasn’t one I’d heard of either.

What in the name of Hades was going on?

Heart pounding, I turned back and ran shouting at the top of my lungs for my team to retreat. The cheetah would catch up to me in seconds, but if I could just get close enough…

I skidded to a stop, falling into the mud that my impromptu tidal wave had left in its wake. The cheetah landed in front of me with a menacing growl. 

Shit, shit, shit!

I could hear the others clamoring my name, but I had to tune everything out and concentrate again. Sending another prayer to my grandfather, I willed the water to rise and take shape, hoping that I would be fast enough. The cheetah launched itself at me just as the water from the creek rushed forward in the shape of a hand. The hand grabbed hold of the wild cat copying the motion I made with my own, making a tight fist.

I held the thrashing animal in place and scrambled to my feet. The clearing of Zeus’ Fist was close enough that I could see Camp Jupiter’s purple flag billowing in the back. If I let go of the Cheetah, there was no way I could outrun the thing. The din of the fighting was so loud that it became a distraction, and I wasn’t sure what to do. Stay and fight, or run for the flag?

Hayden decided for me as he charged in my direction... 

“Get out of here, Charlie!” he shouted. “I’ve got the beast.”

I ran for the clearing. The minute I released my fist, the murky water released the cheetah, drenching everyone nearby. The earth started to shake beneath my feet and I could hear another rush of water, only this time, I wasn’t the one in control.

My legs burned as I put on another burst of speed and breached the clearing. I knew I couldn’t stop as soon as the first arrow whizzed by me. It would have been a good time to have a shield, but I didn’t. I was a moving target crossing the glade until I was able to make it behind the cover of the Fist’s boulders. 

I hastily yanked down the flag and secured it to my belt before taking the chance of throwing myself out into the open again. The Camp Jupiter archers let another volley of arrows fly, and they would have turned me into a pin-cushion if I hadn't been moving so erratically. Another group of soldiers ran out of the woods and chased after me. 

Hayden, Jason, and the other Ares kids were just ahead. It looked like it would be a pretty close fight, but I was not about to lose this flag.

The scene that unfolded by the creek looked like something out of a fantasy movie or a good horror flick. The earth had cracked open in several places and skeletal soldiers crawled from the muck. The humans and skeletons fought on the muddy ground, neither gaining the upper hand. Water rocketed through the cracks propelling anyone that got too close into the air. 

My brother was in the middle of the foray with Hayden beside him. I couldn’t see the cheetah or any other sort of animal nearby. Hayden was crossing swords, with a legionnaire in full Roman armor, and what caught my attention were the identical weapons. Both swords were made of black iron. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the time to ask questions. It would have to wait for later.

“I brought friends,” I called out in warning as I made my way towards them. Tugging on the water that was flowing through the cracks, I disoriented them with a strong spray 

“You’ve got the flag?” Jason queried through gritted teeth. He sent another purple shirt-clad camper soaring.

“Yes!” I said, coming to a stop beside him, breathless. “Let’s end this.”

We doubled our efforts. Pooling the water together beneath us until it formed into a small-scale hurricane, it surged around us, swallowing us into its depth. Hayden saw what we were up to and shouted for our team to retreat. Jason and I gave them long enough to back away to safety before we unleashed the storm. 

As the torrential storm gained ground and speed with us at its center, I took hold of my brother as the sheer force sent us flying. Jason clung to me and I had just enough forethought to shift our positions enough so I would take the brunt of our fall as we slammed onto the earth.

The wind got knocked out of me the minute I hit the mud under Jason’s weight. I was so disoriented that I couldn’t make out what Jason was yelling as he scrambled off of me. Hayden’s face appeared over me next, though I couldn’t make much sense of what he was saying either. I groaned. All I wanted was a second to catch my breath. 

Hayden tilted my head back and opened my mouth, and he trickled an amber liquid down my throat from a canister which immediately had me coughing most of it back up. I could already feel the fog in my head begin to lift when he helped me sit up. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I caught the hint of grandma Sally’s chocolate chip cookies in the drink, and I knew it had to be nectar.

“Here,” Hayden said, pressing a canteen into my hands and eyeing me critically. “Have another drink, we have to move. Can you walk?”

I drank another mouth full of the nectar and nodded. I didn’t trust myself to speak in case I was about to throw up. He pulled me to my feet and we ran. Jason and the Ares kids brought up the rear as we tore through the forest.

Hayden towed me along though I felt like collapsing. I wasn’t sure that I could keep going for much longer. I wanted to tell him to take the flag and leave me when an odd high-pitched whistling sound overhead distracted both of us. An eagle darted into view and I heard Hayden curse in what I was pretty sure was Italian. 

“What?” I shouted as he let go of my hand.

The raptor made a circuit back around and landed on the field. Like the bear from before, it started to change shape. The same boy that had been trading blows with Hayden, in full imperial gold armor, formed in its place. The gold was blinding in the sunlight and the sword, black as night, a sword of Stygian iron.

“Keep running!” Hayden hissed, shoving me away. “Move!”

I wanted to argue, but Jason caught up to us. He didn't have to be told. Grabbing my hand, he pulled me away towards the Parthenos looming over the hill. We were leaving everyone else behind.

“Jace, what are you doing?” I shrieked, trying to break away from his grip.

“They’ll be okay. We have to get that flag to the Parthenos.”

“We can’t just leave them!” I wailed.

The earth trembled like before, almost making me lose my footing. Another fissure opened up like the ones by the creek, and again, skeleton soldiers crawled out of the depths aiding our side of the fight. 

“See? They’re fine,” Jason insisted, still trying to tug me along.

Jason couldn't see what I saw; he couldn’t understand. Something was wrong. The fissure was closing too quickly, and it didn’t look like it was Hayden’s intention. Someone was fighting him for control. The skeletons stopped fighting like they were about to collapse where they stood.

No, NO! 

It had to be the boy - the shapeshifter. Somehow, he was counteracting Hayden’s power. A child of Hades? Another legacy? I couldn’t be sure, but I wasn’t about to leave. I stubbornly dug in my heels to make Jason stop. There was no time to waste. I untied Camp Jupiter’s flag from my belt and thrust it into his hands.

“Get the flag to our base! We will hold this here.”

“But, Charlie…”

I didn’t hear the rest of what he said. I drew my sword and started walking toward the two boys.

“Hey, asshole. There goes your flag. You’re going to have to go through me to get it.” I shouted to get the legionnaire's attention.

It worked. 

He stopped what he was doing as he turned around to face me. Ignoring the fighting going on around him, he headed straight for me. I kept on goading him.

We stopped a short distance from one another and sized each other up.

“One on one,” I called. “Or are you too chicken to face a child of Poseidon? I’m a fish out of water here. This is my blade against yours.”

I could only hope that he didn’t decide to turn into an eagle again or some other kind of bird to go after my brother. If the shifter decided to change, he could just fly right over me, and I didn’t know if Jason was in the safety range of our archers. 

His answer was to charge. It was all I could do to deflect his attack. He was fast and nothing like Renee. This boy could fight. He was hard to counter with the strength he put behind each strike, and while our swords clashed several times ringing loudly, neither of us gave an inch. Fortunately, I didn’t have to beat him, I just needed to hold the fight long enough for Jason to take the win.

As I raised my sword to meet his again, I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder. For a split second, I thought he had somehow managed to get through my guard. That maybe I’d missed something important. Then, I saw the shock etched on his face. He was frozen in place. His sword couldn’t have touched me. My sword slipped out of my hand, as I fell to my knees. I touched my shoulder and my hand came back slick with blood.

I blinked, confused, not understanding where the wet warmth was coming from. He hadn’t cut me. There was no blood staining his onyx blade, but the piercing pain was there, the red...so much red. The world turned on its axis. The last thing I heard was Chiron’s conch signaling the end of the game. It was over now, and I let go into peaceful oblivion.

…

Oblivion was dark and very quiet. I could still feel pain, a dull throb but pronounced enough that I wouldn’t be able to completely forget it was there. I moaned as my senses came back in a rush. The smell of disinfectant strangely combined with the smell of my grandmother’s baking assailed me first. It was a weird mix of sterile and melted chocolate, and I slowly realized I was in the infirmary of the Big House.

I tried to move but a solid weight on my legs kept me where I was. I looked down to see the blonde hair of one of my brothers, quickly realizing it was Masen. I ran my hand through his hair, brushing it away from his face. He shifted slightly, his hand clinging to my shirt, a frown etched on his face even as he slept.

“You’re awake,” Mom said. A statement, not a question. She kept her voice just barely above a whisper, but it still startled me in the quiet room

I nodded. 

“Good,” she said, walking over to pick up a mug from the bedside table. She held it out to me. “Drink.”

It was an order I dared not disobey. I shifted enough that I could sit up without jostling Masen too much. I accepted the mug from her and took a sip to appease her worrying. She crossed her arms and stared at me expectantly, so a second sip followed the first. Mom seemed satisfied with that for the time being.

“How does the shoulder feel?” she asked. “You gave us quite a scare.”

Her voice remained soft, not accusatory. Perhaps she wasn’t angry with me like I assumed. I shrugged the injured shoulder experimentally. There was some soreness, but I couldn’t feel the sharp, piercing pain that I remembered before blacking out.

“Feels okay, Mom,” I replied, keeping my voice low.

“Thank the gods. I’m going to get some food for the three of you then. You’ve been asleep for a few hours and you all missed dinner. I couldn’t get the boys to eat without you.”

She glanced at the cot beside me and I followed her gaze. Jason was completely passed out like Masen, and I couldn’t help the smile. My mischief-makers could drive me crazy sometimes, then do things like this to remind me how much I do love them.

Mom turned to go, but the urge to apologize and tell her that I love her made me reach out. She noticed, her hands immediately fluttered over me thinking that something was wrong. I shook my head and took her hand.

“I’m okay,” I insisted. “I just...wanted to apologize for worrying you. I love you, Mom.”

Her expression warmed and she kissed my forehead. “I love you too, Baby. I’ll be back soon.”

I sighed and set the mug of nectar on the bedside table when Mom left. Leaning back into the pillows, my hand fell to Masen’s hair and I ran my fingers through it again. I was still exhausted, but the thought of staying in the infirmary was unappealing. I would much rather stay in my cabin.

As I thought about several excuses that would get me out of staying in the Big House, there was a soft rap at the door frame. 

I looked up and saw Hayden leaning against the door frame twirling a gold circlet of laurels on his index finger.

“Hey, Mermaid Girl,” he said. An odd expression quickly disappeared from his face before I could read too much into it.

For a moment, I was too stunned to say anything. If he had the laurels that meant we won. I thought I’d completely blown our chance with my blunder at the end since I hadn’t seen the archer that clipped me. He walked into the room and I noticed his eyes making his own assessment of my condition. 

“I’m okay,” I promised when I found my voice again. The words ‘I’m okay’ were going to get old fast, but Hayden had needed to hear them. A few more times wouldn’t hurt.

Hayden put the delicate gold circlet on my hair and went to grab a chair. He flipped it around and straddled the seat with his arms folded over the back. It didn’t look like he was going anywhere for the time being. I flushed and hid my face behind my hands. It was such a relief that I hadn’t screwed things up. I couldn’t help the thrill of satisfaction that we’d won. Jason probably got a kick out of bringing in the flag.

His hand reached for mine, pulling it away from my face, “no hiding, Mermaid Girl.”

“We won,” I said, still in awe. “Oh, thank the gods.”

“Are you kidding?” he asked rhetorically with a wide grin. “We destroyed them. All thanks to you.”

It didn’t escape my notice that he kept my hand, his thumb rubbing small circles on the back. It felt nice, so I wasn’t going to pull away for the moment. I gave him a sidelong glance and a small smile.

“So, are you going to tell me what happened?” I asked. “You know, after I blacked out. What was up with the shifter and why was he carrying Stygian iron?”

I wanted to know more about the shape-shifting Roman and I had several more questions.

Hayden sighed heavily before he spoke again. “We won. Isn’t that enough?”

I shook my head.

“Of course not,” he said with a rueful grin. “Look, the whole story is not mine to tell. It’s just Sam… he’s family. My aunt’s kid, on the Roman side. He’s a grandson of Pluto and Mars. I rarely even get to see them because they’re on the other side of the country. It’s not like we’re close or anything.”

I caught the sour note in Hayden’s tone but wasn’t entirely sure what it meant. At any rate, his explanation made sense. I remembered my dad’s stories. One of the seven, a son of Mars. He had been a shapeshifter. There had been a daughter of pluto as well. Frank and Hazel, had a son named Samuel. I’d seen them less than a handful of times before. They lived in New Rome hidden somewhere in Berkeley Hills, California,

“I get it,” I said and trailed off mid-sentence lost in thought. I vaguely remembered Sammy. Not that I would have recognized him now, it had been a few years and I couldn’t have made out much with his helmet on.

“You know,” Hayden said, glancing at Masen and suddenly changing the subject entirely. “These two haven’t left you since I brought you to the infirmary.”

“Wait,” I looked up at him sharply, “you brought me?”

“I’m talking about your brothers and that's the only part you got out of what I just said?”

Masen began to stir and I immediately felt the loss of Hayden’s warm hand. Masen blinked up at me in confusion for a moment, then he threw himself at me when he realized that I was awake.

“You’re okay!” 

I winced, barely managing the laugh that bubbled out of me. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just take it easy, it still hurts.”

“Sorry!” Masen yelped, moving off.

From the cot beside mine, Jason groaned, “do you guys have to be so noisy?”

“Nice of you to finally join us, Sleeping Beauty,” Masen gibed.

“Yeah well…waterbending is exhausting. And Mace, don’t pretend like you didn’t just wake up too, ” Jason shot back as he stretched, cat-like, and yawned.

I raised an eyebrow. “Waterbending?”

“Yeah, you know...like Avatar the Last Airbender,” he elaborated.

We laughed and it lightened the mood in the room. It was interrupted by another knock at the door frame. It was Hayden’s sister carrying a small tray of medical supplies.

“Hey, guys. Nice to see everyone is in good spirits. I’m just gonna check Charlie’s shoulder and I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”

Hayden got up and turned the chair the right way around, then he and the twins moved out of the healer’s way. The boys eyed Elysia’s tray apprehensively as she bustled around the room. Kissing her brother’s cheek and ruffling Masen’s hair. I sat up straighter as Elysia pulled up a chair and sat down to work her healing magic.

She started to unwrap the bandages, setting them aside in a bowl to dispose of them. Her fingers gently probed the tender area. Once she was satisfied, the wound was cleaned with hydrogen peroxide, and then I felt the chill of the salve she applied with the new dressings.

“It looks like it's healing quite nicely, though It might be a little tender for a few days,” Elysia said. “You should be okay to go back to your cabin tonight. Just try to take it easy, okay?”

She must have seen some look on my face because she quickly turned on Hayden as though she were channeling their father, Dr. Solace. “As for you, dear brother, make sure she doesn't overdo things. No godly powers until that shoulder heals properly.”

“Me?” Hayden replied, eyes widening in surprise. “What makes you think she’ll listen?”

“Hayden William di Angelo, you’d better make it happen,” Elysia said, a slight business-like edge to her voice. “She’s your responsibility now.”

He winced at the use of his full name, but his sister seemed to dismiss him as soon as she turned her attention back to me.

“Your mom will be back with dinner in a minute. Stay and eat, then you can go back to your cabin. I’m leaving a pack of bandage dressings, change them as necessary,” she instructed. 

“Okay, I’ll be good,” I assured her. “Though all I want right now is a hot shower. I feel gross.”

“No strenuous movements.” she warned, standing up and gathering her things. "In any case, I'm all done here. Congratulations on the win tonight by the way. It was pretty spectacular.”

Mom arrived just as Elysia was leaving. She brought a large tray with two plates overflowing with food. Too much food in my opinion, especially when Dad followed behind her with a second loaded tray. I watched in horror as she greeted the di Angelo siblings and set the tray down on the side table the healer vacated. It took up the entire space.

“Mom, did you plan to feed an army?” I asked.

“Have you met your brothers?” she shot back as she handed Masen a plate.

“Clearly, she hasn’t,” Jason added as he took the second plate loaded with barbecue. Both of the boys sat on the cot where he had been napping and dug into their meals.

“I stand corrected,” I relented, accepting my meal with as much good grace as possible. 

Dad shook his head and chuckled. “Just eat what you can.”

Managing to eat enough off my plate to satisfy my mother, we were finally allowed to check out of the infirmary. Despite my fear that she might want to come to stay at the cabin, Mom cleared out our trays and admonished us to go straight to bed.

“Yes ma’am. Right after a hot shower.” I agreed, still intent on taking my shower.

“Be careful. Take it easy with that shoulder,” she chided, biting her lip as if she wanted to say more. I noticed my parents exchange a look and the set in my mother’s jaw that promised her wrath once we were gone. She wasn’t happy about letting us go alone, but Dad must have vetoed the idea to babysit. He was going to get the earful, and I would have to thank him for that later.

“You did good today. I'm proud of you, Mermaid,” he whispered, holding me a second or longer when I went to give him a one-armed hug goodnight.

I kissed his cheek, barely able to hide the grin on my face, then we followed them out before Mom could change her mind. 

Hayden walked back with us to the cabin though he added nothing to the animated conversation my brothers were having as they walked ahead of us. It was almost quiet if I could tune them out and pretend it was just Hayden and me. It was a nice night for a walk. The subtle breeze was cool on my skin and chased away the hospital smell from the infirmary. Unfortunately, the walk ended too soon.

“Mace, are you staying with us tonight? I asked when we got to cabin three.

The look on his face was more than enough of a response, though he said, “got to make sure you follow the doctor's orders, Sis.”

I rolled my eyes at his self-satisfying tone.

“Fine,” I spoke impatiently, knowing that they were going to be annoying for the next couple of days. “Both of you go inside and get ready for bed, I’ll join you in a minute.”

“But,” Masen started to protest.

I gave the twins my best imitation of Mom’s glare.

Jason grabbed Masen’s arm, pulling him along with a smirk , “Come on Mace. Let’s give her some alone time with the boyfriend.”

They disappeared into the cabin laughing, leaving me completely mortified.

I turned and glanced at Hayden apologetically.

“Boyfriend, huh?” he asked, his lips curving into a smug smirk.

I shrugged, “I’m sorry about those two. My brothers are a couple of really bad jokesters.”

“Oh, I don’t know. They’re not so bad.” He took a step closer to me reaching out to tuck a strand of my hair back like he had the last time at the counselor meeting. “They might just be onto something.”

Heat rose to my cheeks and I was once again struck speechless.

His tone softened, the smugness disappeared from his voice and expression as he bent to brush his lips against my cheek. “Good night, Charlie. I’ll see you tomorrow.”


End file.
